Electrocatalytic Activity of a 2D Phosphorene‐Based Heteroelectrocatalyst for Photoelectrochemical Cells

Research into efficient synthesis, fundamental properties, and potential applications of phosphorene is currently the subject of intense investigation. Herein, solution‐processed phosphorene or few‐layer black phosphorus (FL‐BP) sheets are prepared using a microwave exfoliation method and used in photoelectrochemical cells. Based on experimental and theoretical (DFT) studies, the FL‐BP sheets are found to act as catalytically active sites and show excellent electrocatalytic activity for triiodide reduction in dye‐sensitized solar cells. Importantly, the device fabricated based on the newly designed cobalt sulfide (CoS_x) decorated nitrogen and sulfur co‐doped carbon nanotube heteroelectrocatalyst coated with FL‐BP (FL‐BP@N,S‐doped CNTs‐CoS_x) displayed an impressive photovoltaic efficiency of 8.31 %, outperforming expensive platinum based cells. This work paves the way for using phosphorene‐based electrocatalysts for next‐generation energy‐storage systems.